Rail anticreeper



r 15 1927. Ma ch A. 'r. PALMER RAIL' ANTICREEPER Filed Jul 29. 1925I/VVE/Y 70R aga Wm B l firn s.

Patented Mar. 15, 1927.

UNITED STATES .ALPHONSO '1. PALMER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

RAIL ANTICREEPER.

Application filed July 29, 1925. Serial No. 46,701.

My invention relates to anti-creeping de vices for rail-way rails. andthe like, and has for one of its objects the provision of simple andeffective means for efficiently and effectively holding railway rails,and the like, from longitudinal movement.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a device of thecharacter mentioned which will not be detached by movementof the rail infrozen ground.

A still further object of my inventionis the provision of a device ofthe character mentioned which can be easily and quickly attached to arailway track.

Another object of my invention is the provisionof an anti-creepercomprising a single unitary member.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a device of thecharacter men- T tioned that is adapted to dig into a rail when thelatter tends to move longitudinally relative to a tie to which it isspiked.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a railway rail,

tie. tie plate and anti-creeping device embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the device disclosed in Fig.l'showing a sectional view of a railway rail; and

Fig. 3 is an end view of the parts shown in Fig. 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, I have indicated in Fig. 1a fragment of a railway tie 4 of any desired construction. 011 the tie 4is indicated the bottom portion of the rail 5 having the usual flangesmember 6. The member 6 may be of a stiff spring metal or of any desiredmaterial. It

4 is preferable that it have suflicient stifi'ness and size to affordstrength to hold the anticreeping parts against the rail. flanges toprevent movement thereof along the rail.

The member 6 has its central portion curved as shown at 7 in Figs. 1 and8 so that the curved intermediate portion 7 protrudes outwardly awayfromthe side 8 of the tie 4. The end portions9 and 10 of the springplate 6 are substantially flat and the curvature of the spring plateexists between these end portions.

The edge 11 of the curved portion of the spring plate 6 is disposedbelow the flanges 5' and the flat end portions 9 and 10 extend abovesuch flanges. The flat end portion 9 Disposed under the rail 5 is aresilient is provided with a hook 12 which is adapted to engage one ofthe flangesfti'. A hook13 is provided on the flat end portion 10 of thespring plate'6. It will be seen in Figs. 1 and 2 that the hooks 12 and13 extend over the upper surface of the flanges 5 and that the hook 12islonger than the hook 13 for reasons hereinafter disclosed.

The spring plate 6 is provided with an outwardly directed bulge locatedat the center of the curved portion 7. It will be seen in Fig. 1 thatthe outwardly bulged portion 14 has its center of curvature on the sameside of the spring plate 6 as is the center of curvature of the curvedportion 7. In other words. both the curved portion 7 and the bulgedportion 14 are directediaway from the side 8 of the tie 4. .The bulgedportion 14 is substantially spoon-shaped in form and is longer than itis wide. An indentation on the concave side'of the curved portion 7results from the formation of the bulge 14 and this indentation tends todraw or pull the ends of the spring metal plate together. The curvature7 and the bulge 14 both co-operate in producing a spring action in theplate 6 that tends to impel the end portions of such plate towards eachother. A slight extension 15 is provided on the edge 11 of the curvedportion 7. This extension extends an equal distance on each side of thecenter line of the spring metal plate 6 and is providedwith a sharpknife edge 16. The knife edge '16 is shown in Fig. 3 to have a verticalside 17 and a bevelled side 18. The bevelled side 18 extends from theupper edge 11 of the curved portion 7 to the knife edge16. This knifeedge has the same curvature as the curvature of the portion? of themetal plated When the anti-creeping device is secured to the railflanges 5' it is positioned as shown in the dotted lines at 19 with thelarge hook 12 of the flatportion 9 disposed over one flange 5"of therail. A tool such as shown in'Fig. 2 having a bent lower end 23 and ahandle 24 may be employed by inserting the bent end in theopening 25 forthe purpose of expanding the spring metal. plate 6. The intermediateportion'of the handle may be rested against the edge 20 of the left handflange 5 while a force isapplied on the upper end of suchhandle to movethe latter in the direction of the rail. This action will'result in atemporary reduction of the curvature of the plate and may be continueduntil the? plate has been extended sufiiciently to permit the hookmember 13 to be disposed over the edge 20 of the left hand flange 5. Useof thetool may then be discontinued so as to permit the tension in thespring plate 6 to force the hook over the upper surface of the left handflange 5'. firmly gripped in the slots 21 and 22 beneath the hooks 12and respectively. all of the forces applied on the edge portions of therail being supplied by the'bulged' and curved portion ofthe spring metalplate.

It will be seen in Fig. 3 that the knife edge 16 isat a l iighe'relevationthan the edge 11 of the curved portion 7. As a result of thelength of the extension 15 the anti-creeping device is caused to" assumethe position shown in Fig; 3 with the lowermost portion of the flatsides engaging theside 8 of the tie 45. Thus.- when the rail tends tomove lon'giitudinal liv' relative to the tie 4 it also tends to carrythe anti-creeping device which is firmly cliaanped on the flange thereofalong with it. The slightest movement of the rail causes the bottomportion of the flat ends 9' and 10 to press against the side 8' ofthetie- 4' thus" restrainingsuch movement. The pressure against theSlClQ of the tie causes the plate to: act as a lever to force. the edge16 against the under face of the rail and to bite'i nto the rail toprevent the rail from slipping.v

The movement of the rail is restrained in the above mentioned ways,- andthe great power of the anchoring device is the result of the leverageaction it exerts when the rail tends-to move. Even: the slightestmovement of the raiL would cause the spring metal plate 6 to tend toturn about the knife edge" 16' as a fulcrum. This tendency of the springmetal plate 6 causes the knife edge to bite into the rail and: the hookmembers 12- and 13- to be drawn down: firmly upon the upper surface offlanges 5" and results in such flanges being gripped with a tremendousforce. In: other words the spring pliartemember 6 is adapted to grip theflanges of a rail with sufficient force to prevent the: movement of therail relative to the spring plate to resist the slighest movemen-t andthe leverage action is adapted to increase the gripping power of thechisel edge 19 and the hooks 12 and" 18- upon theflanges for the purposeof resisting additional} movement.

Obviously those skilled in the art may make various changes in: detailand arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit and scopeofthe invention defined by the claims hereto appended. and it is thereforedesired not to-be restricted to the precise construction hereindisclosedHaving thus fully described and shown an The edge portions 20 are then Iembodiment of the invention, what is desired to be secured by LettersPatent of the United States is:

1. In combination, a railway rail, a tie under said rail, and aresilient member hav ing end portions engaging the edges of the iangoportions of said rail and an edge portion engaging the bottom surface ofsaid flange said edge portion being beveled at an acute angle to biteinto the surface of said rail.

2. In combination, a railway rail, a tie under said rail, a resilientplate disposed under the rail and adjacent the side of said tie. hookson the ends of said plate for gripping the flange of said rail, and aspheroidal bulge on the side of said plate to cause a spring force to bedeveloped to draw said plate ends towards each other.

In combination, a railway rail a tie under said rail.v a resilient platedisposed adjacent the side of said tie and having? its intermediateportion curved about an upright axis away from said tie". and means onthe edge of said curved portion for dig ging into the bottom surface ofsaid Tail.

4. In combination, a railway rail. a tie under said rail. a resilientplate having a recess therein for receiving the flanges of said rail.said plate being positioned adjacent the side of said tie andcurved"outwardly about an upright axis away from the tie intermediatethe ends of the plate. and an extension on the upper edge of said curvedportion having a sharp edge for engaging the bottom surface of theflange of said rail.

5. In combination. arailway rail, atie under said rail. a resilientplate disposed adjacentsaid tie ha vinga portion intermediate its endscurved about an axis trans-verse to the length of said plate away fromsaid tie. and an extension on the upperedge of said curved portion forengaging said rail to provide a fulcrum abmitwhich said plate said tieand having a sharpened edgeeX- tending upwardly toengage the bottom ofsaid rail to provide a fulcrum about which said plate is turned whensaid rail moves relative to said tie.

8. In combination, a railway rail, a tie under said rail, a resilientplate having a recess therein to receive the flanges of said rail, saidplate having a portion interme diate the ends thereof and extending entirely across said plate bowed outwardly away from said tie and anextension on the top edge of said outwardly bowed portion for engagingthe bottom of said rail at a point spaced-apart from the side of saidtie.

9. In combination, a railway rail, :1 tie under said rail, a resilientplate, hooks at each end of said plate, extending over the flanges ofsaid rail, the bottom of the end portions of said plate engaging saidtie, an extension on said plate adapted to engage the bottom of saidrail at a point removed from said tie, said extension being adapted tohold the upper portion of said plate ends apart from said tie and to actas a fulcrum when said rail moves relative to said tie for increasingthe grip of said hooks upon said. rail flange edges, the entire middleportion of said plate being bowed outwardly to form a spring resilientlyholding the hooks at the ends of said plate together.

10. In combination, a railway rail, a tie under said rail, a resilientplate having the entire central portion bowed outwardly and having endportions engaging said tie, hooks for engaging the edges of the flangesof said rail, and means on said resilient plate adapted to cause saidhooks to bear downwardly on said flanges when said rail moves relativeto said tie.

11. In combination, a railway rail, a tie under said rail, a resilientplate adjacent said tie, said plate having a bowed portion therein topermit resilient longitudinal extension of said plate, hooks on the endportions of said resilient plate for engaging the edges of said flanges,said hooks being adapted to hold said plate in place on the rail, andmeans on said plate to cause a leverage to take place clamping saidhooks tightly upon said flanges when said rail moves relative to saidtie.

12. An anchoring device for railway rails, comprising a resilient platehaving a recess therein to receive the flanges of said rail, said platehaving the entire center portion bowed to permit resilient longitudinalextension of said plate, hooks for engaging the upper surface of saidflanges, and means for causing said hooks to bear downwardly upon saidflanges.

13. An anchoring device for railway rails, comprising a resilient plate,a hook at each end of said plate adapted to be forced by the resiliencythereof firmly against the flanges of said rail, and means spaced-apartfrom the line joining said hooks and extending upwardly against thebottom of said rail to cause said hooks to grip said rail with anadditional force when said rail tends to move.

14'. The combination with a railway tie and a rail supported on saidtie, of means for holding said rail against longitudinal movement onsaid tie, said holding means having portions engaging said rail atlongitudinally spaced apart points thereon and having the centralportion thereof bowed outwardly and provided with a spheroidal bossthereon to impart longitudinal elasticity to said holding means, and anabutment portion disposed against the tie below the rail so thatpressure of said abutment portion against said tie causes the holdingmeans to act as a lever to exert gripping action on said rail.

15. The combination with a tie and a rail supported thereby, of ananchor plate having opposite ends engaging the flanges of said railadjacent one side of said tie, said plate extending downwardly belowsaid rail and engaging the side of said tie, the central portion of saidplate being curved away from said tie and having a toothed upper edgeengaging the lower face of said rail at a point spaced away from saidtie and having a spheroidal boss thereon to add re siliency and strengthto said central portion.

16. The combination with a tie and a rail supported thereon, of ananchor having hooked portions at opposite ends thereof, and a centralbend to resiliently draw said hooked portions against opposite edges ofthe rail flange, said anchor being arranged to engage a face of said tiebelow said rail while said central bend engages the lower face of saidrail at a point spaced from said tie.

In testimony whereof I have signed n1 name to this specification on this27th day of July, A. D. 1925.

ALPHONSO T. PALMER.

